The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-02-24
Thoughts for the Thoughtful.

shine than under the cloud. We remem.
Der reading of the little boy who IVES
blessed with the kindest Of fathers. On
the other hand this little boy had cross
aunt, who always made it a point to re.
prove and sco!d him for any and every
fault which he committed, but who never
gave him word of encouragement or
praise for any good or meriiorious act
Which he did. The boy naturally was
only happy in his fathers presence.
And so it is with all of us, young and
Old. Soft wor Is are much better than
unkind or harsh ones. One of the most
reprehensiblc habits is that of continual
fault finding. Better far to praise and
encourage youth to noble and praise.
worthy deeds than, by the reverse, to
bring out in them the worse sides Of hui
man nature.
GOSsIrING.
The man or woman who is guilty of
gossiping is to be dreaded by all truthful
minds, for the practice Of it works in.
finite harm. 1t is hurtful to the sensitive
mind The confirmed gossip is nearly
always malicious or ignorant. The
young should shun it by the most thor
ough culture, and relieve themselves
from temptation to indulge in it. 1t is
low, frivolous, and too often dirty
pas.imc. There are some ncigbborhoods
where it RACES like q pest, and like an
excrescence mars the beauty and excel
Ience of the human character. OF all
characters, rid us of the gossip; no one
admires him or her. 1t is an unhappy
community where the practice of gossip
ing exists. As we have said, it can be
cured by culture.
THE GIFT OF lIUMoR.
The next fauls to gossip is the exercise
of humor, and it may be doubted wheth-
er this gift to a child at its birth isag cd
or an evil one. The child thus gifted
can hardly reach an eminencc at any
thing-if he has it his career is barred in
many directions. When man has both
earnestness and humor in great measure,
the latter is always tripping him up. He
will always be perplexing or offending
his associates, who are too dense TO ap.
preciate or understand him. Humor
makes mere enemies for a man than
friends for what is not understood seems
hostile and dangerous. After long
life, full of various experience, we have
found that but few persons can take
Joke, and particularly VIXEN told with
seriousness natural tc one given to hu-
NOR or the expression of jokes.
CONSCIENCE AN nVENGER.
What an avenger is conscience! 1t is
always ready TO vindicatc the majesty of
broken law. Conscience makes COW.
ards of us ALL" Sin is rebuked by it,
and stern voice passes sentence on the
sinner. You cannot flee from conscience
-one may as we'll call upon the noun
tain to cover him up and hide him as to
attempt 10 avoid his offence being dis
covered. Your sin shall surely find you
out. 1t is knawing worm, which secret
ly preys on your vitals. Though it may
for time be hidden or covered up, aud
we may seem to prosper, while engrossed
in the excitemcn,s of the world, the time
will come when the debt must lie paid,
and with interest too. Sin not is the
divine command. Some time that out
ragged friend, conscience, will rise up and
do its Office, and the avenging hand be
lifted up.
PRAISE OF a WIFE.
The good wife, the faithful companion,
the sharer of ous trials and our woes,
seldom gets the praise which her virtues
and her selfsacrifcing spirit merit.
Looking over an old paper lately we
came across the following beautiful reply
made by the late Daniel O'Connell in re-
Spouse to q toast given in compliment to
his wife, who was the Object of his long
attachment. The English language
could furnish nothing more touchingly
tender and graceful:
"There are some topics Of SO sacred
and sweet a nature, that they may be
comprehended by those who are happy,
but they cannot possibly be described by
any human being. All that l shall do is
to thank you in the name of her who
was the disintcrested choice of my early
youth; who was the cheerful companion
of my manly years and who is the
sweetest solace Of that "sere and yellow
leaf age at which l have arrived. In
her name thank you; and this you may
readily believe; for experience, Think,
will show to us all that man cannot bat.
tie and struggle with malignant enemies
unless his nest at home is warm and
comfortable-unlcss the honey Of human
life is presented by hand that he loves"